


Start Spreading the News

by Carrieosity



Series: Choices 'Verse [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Brothers, Family Bonding, M/M, Mating Bond, Omega Dean, Timestamp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 16:27:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11672826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carrieosity/pseuds/Carrieosity
Summary: Time stamp to Grown-Up Choices: After Dean and Cas are mated, there's still the issue of spreading the news to their families.





	Start Spreading the News

**Author's Note:**

> A chapter for each person/group they have to tell!

“No,” Castiel said firmly, trying hard to maintain a firm tone even as he felt the amusement tugging at the corners of his lips.

“Aw, come on,” Dean protested playfully as he shrugged his way into an old, comfortably worn tee-shirt. The neckline was somewhat stretched out, and it didn’t come close to obscuring the vivid bite mark at the base of his neck. Cas suspected he’d chosen the shirt for just that reason; there was obvious satisfaction in his eyes as he studied his reflection in the mirror, tilting his head to the side to get a good look.

“I can appreciate a sibling war as much as anyone, Dean, and I even acknowledge the justification for this one, considering the role I personally played—and have acknowledged—in how it started. But I am telling you, this volley would _end_ my participation in it, in a very literal way. Sam would _kill_ me.”

“He’s just a gentle giant,” Dean argued, shaking his head. “Besides, he’s a lawyer. He knows murder is bad.”

Cas rolled his eyes, holding back his laughter. “Yes, I’m sure his legal studies would be forefront in his mind if I simply strolled into our office with a bite on my neck, a smile on my face, and our combined scent radiating from my pores. Those ‘gentle giant’ hands would be locked around my throat before I could even gasp the word ‘consensual.’”  

“But the look on his face!”

“Would be the last thing I ever saw, Dean.” Folding his arms stubbornly, Cas determined to hold his ground in the face of his new mate’s lobbying. “The comic value, as great as it might be, is not worth the risk to life and limb.”

“You’re no fun,” Dean pouted, though he couldn’t keep it going for long. The general mood as they dressed was too giddy for that. Cas hurried to finish dressing himself for work, pausing as he buttoned his top shirt buttons to run a finger over his own mating mark; Dean caught his eyes in their shared reflection, almost glowing with excitement. His smile grew even wider when it became apparent that the edge of his mark did indeed show over the top of Cas’s fastened shirt collar.

“That’s not what you said earlier,” Cas reminded him teasingly, pulling his tie around his neck. He deliberately ran his fingers along the fabric, pulling a shiver from Dean as they both remembered how those fingers had taken him apart, with aching slowness, only a few hours before. For the millionth time, Cas sent prayers heavenward thanking whatever deity was listening for blessings that were surely undeserved.

“Well, anyway,” Dean said, shaking his head roughly and blinking away the memory, “I’m not sure what you wanted us to do. You think this is done better by phone call? ‘Hey, Sam, just wanted to let you know before I see you at the office, I totally bit your big brother last night. Want me to bring in bagels?’” He snorted, crossing the room and wrapping his arms around Castiel from behind. “Or maybe a text! ‘FYI, m8ted Dean! LOL!’ Throw in a bunch of those emojis you love, maybe the eggplant one.”

“Honestly, I’m not sure there is a protocol that was going to work well here,” Cas said thoughtfully, leaning back into the embrace with a soft sigh. “The one thing I do know, though, is that your brother loves you very much, and he has been very concerned for you in recent days. He wants you to be safe, and he wants you to be happy, and he’s going to err on the side of ensuring that. If any part of him thinks I’m a threat to those things…” Cas grimaced.

Dean squeezed him a little more firmly, pushing a kiss to the side of his neck and inhaling his scent. Despite the nervousness underlying it, it was still a heady, almost dizzying combination of Dean’s light, slightly sweet herbal scent and the warm, spicy notes that he’d apparently brought to the mix. He’d never been able to really detect his own scent before, of course, and he and Dean had both been overwhelmed by their first time experiencing their own personal scents and discovering the fascinating ways they meshed together. Dean had actually considered calling in sick to work today, just so he wouldn’t have to be more than a few feet away from grabbing another hit of it. If Cas had been willing, he would have already made the call.

On the other hand, Dean apparently wanted to make the most of the occasion.

“Hey, at least you’re getting off luckier than me,” Dean offered. “You know Sam likes you, even if he might be a little surprised.” Castiel snorted at the understatement, which Dean ignored as he went on. “Your family, though. Do they even know you’re dating?”

“Dean,” Cas growled, turning in his arms. “Do you honestly think I’d have been able to keep you a secret? Even if I’d wanted to keep you completely to myself, Claire went home after meeting you and immediately told Jimmy and Amelia all about the ‘pretty man who went up the tree,’ and they jumped on that trail like bloodhounds on a scent.” It could have been an extremely uncomfortable interrogation, actually; Jimmy was certainly remembering the teasing he’d faced when he’d first let the family know things were becoming serious with Amelia, and he was ready to turn the tables on his twin. Unluckily for Jimmy, Cas had been more than willing to go on and on about the amazing man for whom he was falling hard.

“Okay, but…they don’t _know_ me,” Dean said softly, biting at his lip slightly. Over the months Cas had gotten to know Dean, he’d come to realize how second-nature it was for Dean to hide his feelings of discomfort or unease behind winks and grins, and Cas had worked hard, learning to translate the subtle tells that snuck past the mask. Right now, Dean was judging himself against what he imagined Cas’s family might deem an “appropriate” mate for him. He was picturing the sort of meek-eyed bride-to-be presented to beaming mothers and fathers in trite romance stories, no doubt.  

“They know _me,”_ Cas said firmly, cutting off that train of thought before it could get too far. “I’ve spent years hearing about the sort of person my mate would have to be to put up with me, and I’m pretty sure they were all thinking I’d never find anybody like that, that you couldn’t even exist. If Claire hadn’t vouched for you being real, they’d probably think I was making you up.”

Dean shrugged, making a noncommittal noise, and Cas cupped his jaw with his hand, lifting it so he could kiss him. The tension in his shoulders eased a little with the intimate gesture, and Dean exhaled softly when they broke apart. “All right, but Claire has to be there when I meet them, then. Sounds like she’s my ace in the hole.”

“She can be there, and I’ll be there, too,” Cas chuckled. “But since I don’t have a Claire analog to stand up for me, will you _please_ come with me and keep Sam from doing something violent we’d all regret?” He widened his eyes in exaggerated fear, biting at his lip. Dean laughed as he pulled him close, dropping his forehead to Cas’s shoulder. They both knew there was no real danger; even if Sam completely lost his temper, he’d never actually _attack_ Castiel, and Cas would be more than capable of defending himself if Sam did. The nervousness Cas felt was like Dean’s own, rooted in fear of being judged unworthy of the person with whom they’d joined their lives.

“Okay, okay,” Dean agreed. “But only because I love you so much, and because Sam’s best man speech will be freaking unbearable if I don’t let him have his moment now.”

Now it was Castiel’s turn to tense, and he couldn’t hold back the groan of arousal that rumbled from his throat. “You did that on purpose,” he accused, feeling Dean’s smug grin against his shoulder. _Dean in a suit, lifting a glass of champagne, gold glinting from his ring finger…_ He wasn’t going to make it to the office at all, at this rate.

\---

Dean leaned against the hood of the car, listening to the ringing on the other end of his cell phone. Cas was fidgeting, glancing at his watch, and Dean frowned at him. “Trust me, man,” he said again. “We do not want to do this in your office. Outside is—Sam?”

“Dean, what’s going on?” Sam’s voice said cheerfully through the speaker, an air of distraction audible underneath.

“Oh, all good things,” Dean said as casually as he could. Nervousness and excitement had him shifting restlessly; Cas felt an absurd urge to giggle, which he firmly quashed. “Hey, I kinda need to show you something, if you’re not busy.”

“Well, I’ve actually got a meeting in about twenty minutes, and Castiel must be running behind today, so I’m trying to prepare for it all on my own. You haven’t heard from him today, by chance, have you? He’s not usually late.” There was the faint sound of papers shuffling; the last few words Sam said were muffled, as though the phone were being held between cheek and shoulder as Sam used both hands to rifle through his documents and files.

Winking at Cas, Dean replied, “Yeah, I saw him. He should be in pretty soon, so I don’t think you need to worry.”

“Should have known to call you,” Sam muttered. “So it’s going to go both ways now? I want to know about you, I have to go through him, and for news on him, I have to ask you? Real convenient, Dean.”

“Hey, I’m _trying_ to talk to you right now, man,” Dean interrupted.

“Yeah, when I’m too busy to actually take you up on it!”

“Look, you said twenty minutes. I promise, you just come out here, and this won’t take more than five or ten. And then Cas will be in there, too, and you guys will be ready in plenty of time for your thing. Okay?”

“Wait, you’re here now?” Sam sounded confused. “Why aren’t you at work? And is Cas out there with you? Dean, what—”

“ _S_ _am_.”

After a moment of silence, Sam sighed. “Fine. But if this is some sort of practical joke, just remember that the last time you started that game, it ended with glitter in very uncomfortable places for _both_ of us.”

Cas lifted an inquisitive eyebrow; Dean closed his eyes and shuddered, mouthing “later.” Making a mental note to revisit the topic, Cas turned toward the office door, waiting. A moment later, Sam exited the building, phone in hand. Dean palmed his own phone and stood up, grinning. “Show time,” he murmured.

“Cas, the Bielmann group is supposed to be here soon! Why are you hanging out in the parking lot?” Sam called as he marched toward them. Cas hung back uncertainly; Dean had assured him that he’d “handle Sam,” but he wasn’t sure what that meant. Right now, seeing Sam already agitated from the stress of the morning, he was not feeling supremely confident.

He’d noticed that, despite the warmth of the day, Dean had thrown a light overshirt on over his tee-shirt, mostly obscuring the mating mark from immediate view. Was Dean nervous? As far as camouflage efforts went, it was a weak one, even setting aside that Sam wouldn’t be able to miss their changed scents; Dean might have put on an extra shirt, but he definitely had _not_ put on any scent blockers. Neither had Cas, for that matter; actually, the idea of either one of them covering up the brand new scent had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Sam was halfway across the parking lot when Dean raised his voice. “Hey, before you try to pin this all on me, you didn’t remember, either! Big brain, can’t remember when Ellen’s birthday is?”

Sam froze, guilty-eyed. “It…it is? I thought…wait, wasn’t it…?”

“See, you forgot,” Dean continued smoothly. “Good thing I remembered, huh? But I got us covered. Cas, here, is gonna take a picture of us, and then I’ll get it printed, put it in a nice frame for her. Sound good?”

“Uh, sure!” Sam agreed, still looking unsure.

 _Oh, my God._ Cas narrowed his eyes at Dean, but there was nothing he could do to stop this, even knowing exactly what was about to happen. Dean grinned wickedly at him, saying, “Make sure you get a good one!” and tossed him his phone before walking over to stand beside his brother. Swallowing, Cas smiled weakly at the two of them as he opened the camera app.

The first shot he captured showed Dean smiling broadly, while Sam’s smile had already turned distracted, his face turning to look at Dean.

The second shot showed Dean stepping a little to the side, holding up his hands, while Sam showed the beginnings of suspicion on his face. “Hold on,” Dean said. “This is a bad shirt for the photo.” Then he swiftly yanked the shirt off, dropped it to the ground, and turned back to the camera. “Say cheese!” he cried happily.

In the third photo, Sam was grabbing Dean by the shoulder, mouth dropped open, huge eyes trained directly on the mating bite. Dean was bursting into laughter, almost falling sideways with it. (Ironically, this photo would actually end up framed on Ellen’s wall, her demanded price when she was told later of the part she’d unwittingly played in Dean’s dramatic reveal.)

“Dean!” Sam shouted over his brother’s laughter. The yelling and the shock on his face just made Dean laugh harder. “Is that what I think it is? Dean!” When Dean showed absolutely no signs of being able to speak any time soon, Sam turned on Cas. “Did you guys… _when_ did you guys…?”

“Just last night,” Cas confirmed, glancing quickly back and forth between his hysterical mate and the brother whose reaction was still unclear. “Sam, I know you’re surprised, but I want you to know that neither of us took this lightly. I just…I love Dean very much, and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life showing him that.” Sam looked down at Dean, now sprawled on the ground and cackling, then back at Cas.  “We had a lot of…serious discussions first,” Cas added, turning the phone over and over in his hands.

Sam took a slow step toward Castiel. Despite his earlier convictions about Sam’s inherent pacifism, Cas fought the urge to step back. Sam took another step, and then another. When he was within arm’s reach, Cas noticed that Dean had stopped laughing, but he wasn’t about to look away from Sam to check on him. There was a long moment of silence, and then Sam had grabbed Cas by the shoulders and pulled him into the biggest bear hug Cas had ever experienced in his life.

“You better take care of him,” Sam said in a choked voice. Cas might have responded, but he found his throat was too tight to begin. He lifted his own arms to wrap around Sam, instead. Behind them, he heard Dean laugh one more time, much more quietly. If it was also a little bit watery-sounding, well, nobody else was in any position to criticize.

* * *

 

BONUS SCENE:

“You did _what?”_ Sam said in a strained tone. It was much later in the evening, meetings and other daily minutia having delayed the longer discussion until they could meet for drinks. And there had been many, many drinks.

“You know, a chase,” Dean said, smirking lopsidedly. “It was fucking _hot,_ too.”

“Ugh, Dean. I don’t wanna know,” Sam groaned. He reached for his shot glass, frowning when he found it already empty. Tilting it back, he shook the few remaining drops into his mouth. “Good thing you started running, I guess. Tried that a year ago, wouldn’t have been much of a chase.”

“Shut up, bitch.” Dean wasn’t offended. Sam wasn’t wrong.

“Jerk.” Sam looked across the room, to where Cas was studying the pool table as though the pattern of the balls would predict the future. Ash and Andy were animatedly explaining the current game to him, talking over each other in contradicting ways, but Cas just nodded consideringly, alcohol increasing the credibility of any and all suggestions. “I wouldn’t have seen you guys coming, but you two…make sense, I think. In a weird way.”

“Yeah?” Dean asked, smiling.

“Yeah.”

A loud series of clacks came from the pool table, followed by a chorus of wordless cries from the people watching. Dean and Sam turned and saw Cas standing over a table emptied of all but the last ball, cue stick in hand. He turned to grin back at Dean, face flushed and proud.

Sam snorted. “Definitely, yeah,” he said again.

**Author's Note:**

> Who's next? Come tell me on [Tumblr](http://carrieosity.tumblr.com).


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